China U18 Men’s Basketball Team VS New Zealand Preview: Zhang Boyuan Leads the Team to Aim for the Finals; Restricting the Opposition’s Dual Core is Key

At 9:30 PM on September 8th, the semi-final match of the U18 Asian Men’s Basketball Championship will take place, with China’s U18 men’s basketball team facing off against New Zealand’s U18 men’s basketball team, both competing for a spot in the final.

In the group stage, China’s U18 men’s basketball team won all three matches securing the top spot in their group and directly advancing to the quarter-finals. In the quarter-final, China’s U18 team easily defeated India 89-43, securing a 46-point victory, thus locking in their qualification for next year’s U19 Men’s Basketball World Cup, completing their pre-tournament goals. The next objective is to strive for better results. In the first four matches, aside from the close 2-point victory over Japan, the other three matches were all large-margin wins, averaging a point difference of 35 points against their opponents.

The core player and leading scorer for the Chinese team is Zhang Boyuan, who averages 16.5 points and 2.5 rebounds per game, also one of the players with the most individual talent. The second leading scorer Liu Li averages 11.3 points and 6 rebounds per game, while Chen Jiazheng averages 10 points. Xuan Sinan and Xuan Sifeng, two brothers, have height advantages, with Xuan Sinan standing taller than 2 meters 15 centimeters. In the match against India, Xuan Sinan was injured after twisting his ankle and had to leave the court. New Zealand has also been strong in their first four games, winning all three group stage matches against Jordan, Indonesia, and the Philippines respectively. In the quarter-final, New Zealand defeated Iran by 26 points with a score of 87-61. The playing style of New Zealand’s U18 team is similar to that of the senior national team, with tall players, unafraid of physical play, and a very robust style. Both centers of New Zealand are over 2 meters 5 centimeters tall, so they do not suffer a significant height disadvantage. New Zealand averages 48.8 rebounds per game, which is 9.5 more than China, making rebound control crucial for the Chinese men’s basketball team in this game.

The top scorer for New Zealand is Isaac, averaging 19.8 points, 6.5 assists, and 7.3 rebounds per game, with very comprehensive individual abilities. He ranks third in the scoring charts of this tournament and is the core player of the team’s perimeter. The second leading scorer Hopey averages a double-double with 17.3 points and 10.5 rebounds per game, serving as the core player of the team’s interior. Additionally, Treacher averages 11 points and 4.5 rebounds per game. The team’s offense mainly relies on these three players, who are also the three key defensive targets for China’s U18 men’s basketball team.

The two teams met once in the 2018 U18 Asian Championship, with New Zealand winning 87-82 at that time. Both teams have been in excellent form with four consecutive victories, and the outcome of this match remains highly uncertain.

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